The New California Republic Army (NCRA) is the standing army of the New California Republic and is by far the largest and one of the most effective military forces in the post-nuclear United States.[1]

Contents

Overview

The origins of the Army are not detailed, but by 2241 it was the largest standing army in New California, composed of several divisions, including special (mechanized) cavalry and other mechanized units. The New California Republic Rangers were incorporated into the military in the following years, but with a separate chain of command.

The army has continued to grow and serve NCR's interests, securing its expansion and protecting territories under its control. Following the death of President Tandi, it has also became an instrument of expansion, further developing its numbers. In 2253, the retaliatory Pacification of the Mojave was carried out by an overwhelming force of three battalions, in a protracted war that lasted seventeen years. Soldiers of the army distinguished themselves, including future President Aaron Kimball.[2] Other notable campaigns that shaped the modern NCR Army were the removal of long-standing raider tribes such as the Vipers and the Jackals, and, of course, the Brotherhood War.[3]

By 2281, the NCRA was the single largest military force in the wasteland, rivaled only by the Caesar's Legion. Composed of numerous army battalions,[4] a sharpshooter-skirmisher battalion, and many Ranger battalions,[5] the NCRA has tens or hundreds of thousands of troops at its disposal,[6] enough to absorb the continued loss of one thousand troops each year in the Mojave Campaign alone and still retain operational capability.[7]

The biggest problem the Army encountered was the influence of brahmin barons. Although they only had one vote at the ballot box, their wealth made it easy for them to buy the loyalties of soldiers. This warped the Mojave Campaign to the point that heavy infantry units, soldiers with normal and salvaged power armor suits, stay back home protecting the barons' ranches from small-time raiders, while rank-and-file troops are sent to the Mojave to maintain the campaign, often without proper service rifles or body armor.[8] The ongoing occupation of the Mojave and the lack of activity from the Legion resulted in the quality of training among soldiers deployed to the theater to deteriorate. By 2281, the situation in the Mojave has reached the point where replacements are shipped out with merely two weeks of training.[9]

Furthermore, under the Kimball administration, sexism has reared its ugly head once more. The reactionary undercurrent has led to a disproportionate rate of promotions among male military officers as opposed to female ones. [10]

Wars

The New California Republic has gone to war several times. A chronological order of the wars they fought are as followed:

Organization

Based on the pre-War United States Armed Forces chain of command and organization, the New California Republic Army uses many of the same elements, adjusted to fit the smaller population and army size. When intact, this chain of command fosters a very capable fighting force; however, should this structure be broken, soldiers become unable to operate efficiently without a commander and usually retreat from battle.[11] The Army has an eligible age of 16 for voluntary military service,[12] but the NCRA draws most of it manpower from NCR states through conscription.[13] Volunteers already in the service may elect to transfer to the NCR Rangers.[14]

The basic theater-level unit of organization is the battalion, divided into companies, platoons, and squads, created at the commanding officer's discretion. Typically, they are led by a sergeant or other non-commissioned officer.[4] The Mojave Campaign began with the deployment of three battalions of infantry to the desert at the behest of President Wendell Peterson.[2][15] Military bases of the Army (typically called camps) are always under the command of a commissioned officer (usually a major, e.g.Polatli or Knight at Camp Forlorn Hope and Mojave Outpost, respectively). Larger field camps are under the command of a colonel (e.g.James Hsu and Cassandra Moore at Camp McCarran and Hoover Dam, respectively); these field camps also train recruits and employ drill sergeants.[16]

The pay in the Army's service varies greatly. Enlisted troopers are frequently paid poorly, with privates receiving less than 200 caps in monthly wages.[18] On the other hand, the Army does offer generous benefits and fiscal security in the long term, if a trooper completes his service and earns an honorable discharge.[19] Good readiness evaluations can result in the Army giving raises to well-performing soldiers.[20]

Laws

With laws enacted during President Tandi's administration, the NCR recognizes the rights of prisoners of war and approaches their care humanely and free from abuse. Most officers find these laws to be constricting,[21] but resourceful officers find ways around it by employing the service of outside consultants.[22]

While modern in terms of organization, some elements thereof hearken back to methods used by military forces of the 17th and 18th centuries. For example, flogging can be used as a non-judicial punishment for desertion or suspicion thereof. The war with the Legion and fall-off in training levels result in it being used too liberally at times.[9] Of course, it depends on circumstances. Desertion in the face of the enemy is a capital offense, with the penalty being hanging[23] or to be shot on sight.[24] Severe dishonorable conduct, such as armed robbery by active soldiers, also warrants capital punishment, by firing squad.[25]

Foreign relations

As the military arm of the NCR, matters of diplomacy are left to be decided by the civilian branch of the government, (the president and the congress). Outsiders' view of the military depends on their relationship with the NCR.

Technology

The Army of the Republic enjoys a substantial advantage over many of its competitors, thanks to a strong industrial base, a large supply of manpower, and rugged, standardized technologies. Its biggest advantage, however, are command and control capabilities: The Army uses computer software to coordinate and evaluate its troops,[26] with radio and satellite communications providing real-time coordination of its military operations.[27][28][29]

The Gun Runners are the primary contractor responsible for supplying the Army with weapons and ammunition, enough to be considered an unofficial branch of the military.[30] Caravans deliver weapons and ammunition in bulk from factories in the Boneyard to wherever the Army needs them.[31] Other companies supply the Army's body armor, with the principal contractor being the Crimson Caravan company, competing with Far Go Traders.[32]

9mm semi-automatic pistol is the standard sidearm of both officers and grunts. All of these weapons are provided by the Gun Runners, who handle a majority of the weapons contracts of the army. It consists of a metal breastplate and backplate supported by leather pauldrons worn over brown fatigues. The NCR is also known to use mine tactics; Chief Hanlon is famous for it.[35]

Air force

The NCR has limited airpower, with a fleet of captured Vertibirds for special missions (with some of them stationed at border outposts, such as the one on the Long 15), with at least one Vertibird being reserved as the president's personal vehicle ("Bear Force One").[40][41][42][43]

While the Republic has access to surviving fixed-wing aircraft, it is not known if it has the technical ability to operate and maintain them.[44]

Mechanized division

The New California Republic have a mechanized vehicle division. The exact number and the type of vehicles in the division is unknown. The primary limitation is the supply of tires and other degradable parts that greatly limit the possibility for fielding any larger scale vehicle fleet.[45][46] It is known, however, that the NCR logistics corps employ several former United States Armytrucks and jeeps for transport, and several scavenged tanks[47] These are kept running by a dedicated team of mechanics and well-stocked workshops, such as the truck repair depot at Camp McCarran.[48]

Propaganda posters

The original poster the slogan for the NCR has been derived from

Comparison of posters

References

↑The Courier: "Tell me about the NCR."Cassandra Moore: "I don't have time to discuss all the different aspects of the NCR with you, but if you want it all in a nutshell - the NCR is progress. If you wander around the wasteland you'll find all sorts of tribes, villages, and such where people spend most of their time trying to survive. The NCR gives its citizens a shot at something more. We have laws, currency, health care, government. All the things that were lost. It's not perfect, but it's worth protecting, which is why we also have the largest military in existence."(Cassandra Moore's dialogue)

↑ 2.02.1Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.458: "Important Dates2248: President Tandi takes ill and dies at the age of 103. Her presidency has lasted 52 years. Vice-President Joanna Tibbett assumes office.2253: President Tibbett is removed from office by a vote of no confidence following her "timid" response to the massacre of 38 NCR citizens at the hands of Mojave raiders. Her replacement, President Wendell Peterson, orders three battalions of NCR infantry into the Mojave."(Behind the Bright Lights & Big City)

↑Aaron Kimball: "They suffered through water shortages, raider attacks, and the Brotherhood War. Like our mighty Sierra Nevadas, they endured. But the time came when they could no longer shoulder the burden alone. Twelve years ago, they called out for help, and the republic heard them. Troopers and rangers, just like you, answered the clarion call. Men and women stepped forward to say, "I will carry the weight." And at Owen's Lake, we made true on our promise, driving out the raider tribes to establish a lasting peace in the eastern Sierra Nevadas. We carried the weight, and though we left behind many of our brothers and sisters on that battlefield, it did not break us."(Aaron Kimball's dialogue)

↑The Courier: "What do you think of the NCR?"Veronica Santangelo: "I'm worried they'll be the death of the Brotherhood. They take what they want. We defend our interests to the death. But there's a handful of us and tens or hundreds of thousands of them. So it's not going to end well. Last time we clashed we lost a lot of people. Retreated to our bunker. Now we're afraid to even move around during the day."(Veronica Santangelo's dialogue)

↑The Courier: "That's crazy."Hanlon: "Maybe fifty rangers will die on that dam. We lose over a thousand troopers every year. Being here is crazy. Getting out's the only sane thing to do."(Hanlon's dialogue)

↑The Courier: "What about the troopers?"Hanlon: "You've seen it yourself. Some of them don't even have proper service rifles or armor. Our heavy infantry, power armor units, they're back in NCR territory protecting the interests of Brahmin barons against small-time raiders. Brahmin barons only have one vote at the ballot box, but they have a lot of money to throw around."(Hanlon's dialogue)

↑ 9.09.1The Courier: "Administrative discharge? What does that mean?"Arms merchant: "It means my C.O. was an asshole, and I told him to eat shit. He ordered me to flog a couple "deserters." Those kids didn't desert. They just got liquored up on the Strip and missed roll call. I don't know what else the brass expects... half these kids don't get more than two weeks of training before they ship 'em out here."(Arms merchant's dialogue)

↑Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.457: "EqualityBy law, the NCR prohibits persecution and discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or religious belief (so long as said religion does not advocate violence). Legal protection of Ghouls and other mutants was added in 2205, though enforcement of these rights has been spotty. For the most part, the NCR's practices live up to its ideals, but there has been some retrenchment since the death of President Tandi. Aaron Kimball's popularity was amplified by a reactionary undercurrent, especially among males, calling out a need for a "strong man" to lead the NCR forward. In the years since Kimball took office, male military officers have been promoted disproportionately to females, and discourse arguing the differences between males and females has reappeared."(Behind the Bright Lights & Big City)

↑The Courier: "And what do you want me to do?"Lanius: "Our forces are better equipped to take objectives than hold them. I do not wish to defend this place if another option exists. Our opponents follow a strict chain of command, which is both a strength and weakness. I intend to use you to strike at that weakness. Find the enemy commander, this General Oliver. Kill him or his resolve. Do this, and his cowards will retreat, leaving the dam to us."(Lanius' dialogue)

↑The Courier: "How did you get to be a colonel in the NCR?"Cassandra Moore: "I joined up at a young age. Was barely sixteen when I left home and volunteered to be in the military. Got a few strange looks at first, but those stopped when I got top marks across the board during training, and became an officer at seventeen. A few years went by, my squad helped take down gangs of raiders here and there, and one day an invitation to join the Rangers arrived. Those were the best years of my life. Doing something that truly matters, and having the freedom to handle it as you see fit. Then I got injured. Everyone was very supportive. I received a promotion to colonel and given greater responsibility, but my days as a Ranger were over."(Cassandra Moore's dialogue)

↑The Courier: "How does spreading false intel help anything?"Hanlon: "People back home don't listen. They don't care. Senators, Brahmin barons, folks who are just trying to make it from day to day. It's been so many years that people forget about it. Conscription brings in fresh troops to die here every month. Like it's routine. And even if we hold this dam, what then? Are we going to send the NCR's men and women to die here for another five years? Ten? Patrol the whole length of the Colorado for hundreds of miles? Holding this dam. It'll be the death of us."(Hanlon's dialogue)

↑The Courier: "400 caps is a less suspicious amount. You have enough trouble here as it is."Monroe: "[SUCCEEDED] That makes sense, and it's still more than these troopers see in a month."(Monroe's dialogue)

↑The Courier: "How'd a guy like you end up in the Army?"Poindexter: "It's a simple idea: the Army offers fiscal security and generous benefits at the cost of substantial personal risk - if you're on the front line. If you perform too poorly, they'll scrub you out. Perform too well, and you get sent to the front lines. All I have to do is ride that mediocrity gradient to a cushy, do-nothing job miles away from the war."(Poindexter's dialogue)

↑The Courier: "Why don't you just beat your prisoner senseless?"Carrie Boyd: "I like the way you think. Have I said that yet? Problem is that the NCR frowns on using that sort of tactic. There are some restrictions still in place from President Tandi's administration. But here's my favorite thing about you - you're not in the NCR. Plus, for all this guy knows, you're completely insane. That's a winning combination."(Carrie Boyd's dialogue)

↑Carrie Boyd: "You did well. I don't know how you did it without putting a scratch on him, and I'm a little disappointed personally, but it saved the NCR some face. And it could save us more than that when all is said and done. I'm gonna talk to some people when we're through here. This is about double the standard fee we'd give a "consultant," but from what I saw, you're more of an artist. So think of this as your commission."(Carrie Boyd's dialogue)

↑Fallout: New Vegas endings: "The Misfits' laziness caught up with them when the Legion attacked Camp Golf. Those who weren't killed in the attack attempted to flee, but were caught at Mojave Outpost, court-martialed, and hanged from the ranger monument."

↑The Courier: "I imagine the NCR doesn't deal with deserters kindly."Layla: "Yeah, if we see the NCR, they'll be waiting for us with a bullet to the brain pan. So what are we supposed to do, just run?"(Layla's dialogue)

↑Fallout: New Vegas endings: "Driven into a frenzy by their use of psycho, The Misfits inflicted heavy casualties on the Legion during the defense of Camp Golf. At first they were commended for their valor, but eventually, desperate for more of the chem, they turned on travelers in Outer Vegas. For their dishonorable conduct, the NCR court-martialed and executed them by firing squad."

↑Camp Golf, the Mojave Outpost, and other outposts have satellite dishes set up for communication using surviving satellites in orbit.

↑The Courier: "Tell me about the Gun Runners."Alexander: "The Gun Runners have been putting rapid-fire death-dealing in the hands of anyone who needed to defend himself for over a century. We're the NCR's #1 supplier of weapons and ammunition. You might call us an unofficial branch of the army."(Alexander's dialogue)

↑The Courier: "A gun nut like you must have some weapons stashed around here."Alexander: "[FAILED] Do I look like a fucking arms caravan to you? Do you think the Gun Runners keep the NCR military supplied by carrying weapons and ammo from the Boneyard out here by the armload? Get a clue. We have caravans. We deal in bulk."(Alexander's dialogue)

↑The Courier: "Give them a deal on the price, you'll have the upper hand in future, more important negotiations."Blake: "[SUCCEEDED] Well, the Far Go Traders have been trying to edge us out on the new armor contract for the troops. This could swing things in our favor. All right, let McCarran know they should expect the first shipment in a week or so."(Blake's dialogue)

↑Fallout Bible 56. About how many working or servicable cars are there at the time of FO2? Obviously there must be more then one, since the guy in new reno has a garage fully staffed, and most likely has a large supply of parts( im assuming that was what the warehouse building next to the garage was filled up with, you couldnt pick up anything off of them)Probably not too many, but I don't know the exact number. The real problem isn't fuel, it's mostly tires and other degradable parts that have gone to the dogs in the past 100 years. For every two hundred or so people, there might be one working vehicle, and even "the local clunker" wouldn't be up to factory specs. NCR is rumored to have a mechanized vehicle division outside of its farming vehicles, but the number of vehicles in the division is unknown."

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